Beneath the Silent Moon
by Sayosia
Summary: When Jenna's mother uproots the two of them to move to Forks, Jenna thinks he life is over. That is, until she meets Taylor. What she doesn't know is that Taylor and all the Cullens have a secret that could change her life for better... or worse. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is set quite a long time after Bella and Edward. They are still around, and Bella is a vampire. But there is a new addition to the Cullen family. A seventeen year old boy (is boy the right word?), named Taylor. It will make more sense as the story unfolds. I do hope you enjoy...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Twilight characters. I will only take credit for my characters Taylor and Jenna (and of course all the little fill ins for the original characters that are no longer around. Perhaps you'll be able to see the connection that is forming between old and new).**

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**Chapter One: Exquisite Chains**

"Jenna, cheer up. You're gonna love it here." An older woman said from the driver's seat of an expensive looking car. "Put your bags in the trunk and get in. I want to hurry up and get to the new house."

Jenna rolled her eyes without saying a word and did as she was told. She would never understand what compelled her mother, Gabriella, to move here of all places. Forks, Washington had to be the smallest, most boring town in the nation. There was nothing attractive about this place unless you loved rain and wetness. Of course, her mother had come up with plenty of excuses to move here. The two that she stuck with most was change of scenery and inspiration to help her write. What Jenna didn't see was how someone could get inspiration from such a small lifeless place. Granted, she hadn't lived in a really big city before, but it could at least be classified as a city. As soon as Jenna got her seat belt on, he mother pulled out of the airport parking lot. Jenna pulled out her i-pod and began listening to it to drown out the sound of the rain.

It seemed like it took forever to get to the house, but it was probably because Jenna was bored out of her mind. Eventually, though, they did find the house. _Now this,_ Jenna thought as she viewed the house, _this is more like it._ The house was a big, beautifully structured house. It was white and had two floors and a basement, and was set back in the woods a bit. The road was visible from the house, but it was sheltered. Jenna knew from pictures that the inside of the house was just as beautiful with vivid, lively colors on the walls, wood and tiled floors, and open, airy rooms with large windows. It was just like her mother to flaunt the money they had and buy the best they could get. As it was, her mother was already driving a Porsche. The sleek silver car clearly spoke of money. Along with the big house, they also owned a large expanse of land. Most of the land was wooded, but there were some empty pastures amidst all the trees.

"Well, here we are." Gabriella said. "Pretty impressive, huh?" She asked. Jenna just nodded sullenly. She didn't care how much she_ really_ liked the house. She wasn't going to let her mother know. Gabriella switched off the car and climbed out.

"Aren't you gonna get your stuff and go inside?" She asked Jenna, who hadn't moved.

"I'll be in in a minute." Jenna replied. Those were the first words she'd spoken since they'd boarded the plane. Her mother nodded and got her stuff out of the trunk, heading up to the house. Glad to be alone, Jenna shut off her i-pod and put it away, stepping out of the car. She let the rain wash over her, not caring that if she stood there much longer she would get soaked. After a few minutes, she went around to the trunk and grabbed her two bags. Adjusting them so that they hung more carefully on her shoulder, she closed the trunk and walked up to the house onto the covered, wrap-around porch. Once inside, she kicked off her shoes so as not to track mud through the house. Her mother caught sight of her.

"What were you dong, standing in the rain?" Gabriella asked. "Good grief, you're soaked."

"You were the one who wanted to move here, mom. If it's gonna be raining most of the time, it would be a good idea to get used to this. I'm not going to let the rain stop me from going outside." Jenna replied.

"I'm not yelling at you. I was just saying." Gabriella said. "I guess it's a good thing we don't have to unpack. I just got a call on my cell from my publisher. They want me to hurry and finish my book, so I'm going to be busy for the next week or so."

Jenna sighed. That was another good thing. Her mom, having the sense to think ahead, had hired movers (from a completely trustworthy company that her editor had suggested) and had everything moved to the new house and put where it belonged. Jenna and Gabriella had only kept with them what they would need for the few weeks that they would be staying with one of Gabriella's friends. Even the Porsche had be transported to the air port in Port Angeles. Gabriella had figured that, with all the stressful stuff out of the way, she would have more time to work on her latest book and Jenna would have more time to make friends and concentrate on school. Jenna made her way upstairs to dump her bags. As much as she despised this move, she was glad to be done with traveling. She stripped out of her wet clothes and slid into the expensive silk robe her mother had gotten her for her birthday two months ago, pulling her long black hair over her shoulder and braiding it. A wave of dread filed her as she thought of going to school tomorrow. Gabriella had planned it out perfectly so that they moved before school started. Unfortunately, for Jenna at least, she had to pick the day before school started instead of a week before, or a month before.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Her mother sat there with a notebook, writing things as she ate. They were only notes and reminders about what she wanted to put in her book, but the took up all of her attention. Eating, for Gabriella, was more of a subconscious thing so it didn't require too much thought. As for Jenna, she just didn't feel up to talking to her mother at that moment. That night, Jenna went to bed early.

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Despite the fact that she was up early, Jenna ended up rushing to get ready for school. She was nervous as hell and wanted to look as good as possible. First impressions were a big deal... Gabriella told her that she could take the Porsche, no doubt wanting to help, but as soon as Jenna got to school she realized that her car stood out _big_ time. All the other cars and trucks and vans were all older models, not so great looking vehicles. The only other nice vehicles there included a shiny silver Volvo and a red convertible that Jenna suspected was a BMW. But, hey, she wasn't all that big on cars. She knew some cars, but not too many. Students stared at her car as she pulled into a parking space, then proceeded to stare at her as she got out. Many of them stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of her car. Trying her best to ignore them, Jenna made her way to the office, glad that the rain stopped for the moment. There was still constant cloud cover, though. She stepped into the warm, bright interior of the front office.

"Can I help you?" The secretary said in a high reedy voice. She was a thin lady and had gray-streaked curly brown hair.

"Uh, yeah, I'm Jenna Nolan. I'm a new student here and need my schedule and a map of the school." Jenna said uncertainly. The secretary, whose name tag declared her to be Ms. Brown, peered at Jenna over the top of her glasses.

"Ah, yes, Jennifer Nolan." Ms. Brown said, searching through a small pile of papers. She pulled out Jenna's schedule and a map. "Here you go. I hope you have a good day."

With a nod, Jenna walked out. The secretary's hopes were wasted. Who ever had a good first day at a new school? Looking at her schedule, she saw that she had Geometry first hour. Referring to the map, she found the building the class was in and made her way to class. She walked into the small building that served as a classroom and, seeing that some of the other students had, hung up her jacket on the coat rack beside the door. Then she took her seat.

At times, it was good to be one of the first ones in the classroom. This was not one of those times. As the rest of the students walked in, they all stared at her and whispered to their friends behind their hands. Right now, Jenna could tell that it was mere curiosity, but it could soon turn to hostility if she wasn't careful. It was in the nature of high schoolers to look at new students with disdain... as an oddity, or something to be observed. At least, that's how she saw it. Some new students got lucky and were accepted. Others were not so lucky. Jenna had a feeling that she would be one of those not so lucky since her mother had decided to flaunt their money. These kids here at Forks obviously weren't rich, so Jenna had a feeling that they would push her away. Then again, it could have the reverse effect. They could accept her, mostly out of jealousy and envy no doubt. As it was now, it looked like it was going to go both ways. Jenna was glad when the teacher called for attention and took roll. A few of the kids looked when Jenna's name was called, but they did not continue to stare.

When the bell rang, Jenna was one of the first ones out of the class. She'd hoped to get away, to escape those stares, but much to her dismay one of the girls from her class caught up to her. "Hey, Jenna! Wait up a sec." The girl called, struggling with her books to keep them from slipping. Not wanting to stop but having no where to run to or no reason to keep going, Jenna slowed her pace enough for the girl to catch up.

"I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but what do you want?" Jenna asked as the girl began to walk next to her.

"I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Kailey Smith." She said with a reporter like attitude, pushing her blond hair out of her face. "I know what it's like to be new to the area. I moved here two years ago."

"Yeah, well you seem to be fitting in just fine, so I don't see how you can imply that you know how I feel." Jenna said a little more sharply than she had intended. As soon as she realized this she apologized. "Sorry, it's just that I saw the way most of the kids were looking at me. I know what they were thinking."

"Oh, they were probably looking at you like that because you remind them so much of the Cullens. Except that you aren't as good looking as them." Kailey said. "Not that you're not pretty and all." She added hurriedly. "It's just that they are... well, there's no way to describe how gorgeous they all are. That's how good they look."

"I understand." Jenna said.

"Have you seen them yet?" Kailey asked. Jenna shook her head. "Well at least you're prepared now. See you later!" Kailey called, running off in the other direction. _I wonder what she meant by prepared..._ Jenna thought as she walked into her second hour class, Chemistry, and sat down to prepare herself for another boring day. Unfortunately, she wasn't allowed to do that. A boy with honey blond hair and pale blue eyes sauntered over to her. She was tempted to ignore him because he seemed to radiate an attitude that he was better than everyone.

"Hi there. You're Jenna, right?" He asked, flipping a chair around and sitting in it backward.

"Yeah," Jenna said slowly. "And you are...?"

"Tyler." He replied. "So how are you liking your day so far?" Luckily at that moment the teacher came in so Jenna was saved from having to answer that question.

Another boring class. More mixed looks all hour. Once more it was a relief when the bell rang, and once more Jenna was one of the first ones out of there. This time she avoided people as she went to her third hour class. _At least this'll be a class I enjoy,_ Jenna thought. She'd always enjoyed English. And after that she had Creative Writing. Finally the day looked like it was going to produce _some_ good. Now if only she could get people to stop staring! Ah, that would be wonderful... Jenna was glad by the time lunch rolled around. Perhaps now she could have a little break from all the stares and confrontations. It started raining as she was walking to the cafeteria._ Oh, great,_ she thought as she pulled up her hood. _The never ending rain has returned_. She entered the building quickly and headed straight for the food line. As soon as she was done getting her food, she had intended to go find some place to sit alone, but Kailey ran up to her before she walked so much as five paces from the lunch line.

"Hey, Jenna, my friends and I want you to sit with us." Kailey as she approached. Jenna shifted uncomfortably, but she saw no way out of this.

"Oh, okay." She replied uncertainly. Kailey smiled and led Jenna to a crowded table.

"Everybody, this is Jenna." She introduced. Jenna gave a small smile and wave, sitting down in the empty seat provided for her. As she sat there and ate, Kailey went around the table and introduced everyone, but Jenna couldn't remember their names five minutes later. Of course, there were some that Jenna already knew, such as Tyler, but she did her best to ignore him. She sat there dutifully, nonetheless, eating her food and answering questions that she was asked. Most of the time, though, she sat there looking around the cafeteria. Kailey saw her looking around and turned toward her.

"You're looking for the Cullens, aren't you?" She asked Jenna quietly. Jenna nodded. "I wouldn't bother if I were you." Kailey said with sudden hostility.

"Why?" Jenna asked, surprised by Kailey's sudden change in attitude. Kailey didn't answer. Jenna was about to ask again, but at that moment the bell rang.

"Oh, lunch is over." Kailey said. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Jenna. I hope the rest of your day goes well." Before Jenna could get a word in, Kailey went running off to talk to some friends. With a sigh, Jenna got up and threw her food away._ She sure is odd,_ Jenna thought. With a small shrug to herself, she headed to her next class, ceramics. When she entered the class, she didn't give anyone a chance to confront her. Instead, she walked to the back of the class and sat in the only available seat. She threw her bag down beside the table and took off her jacket before she realized that the people around her were looking at her. One of them happened to be Lillith, one of the girls she'd met at lunch.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" Jenna asked Lillith. Lillith had been about to answer, but she didn't have a chance to because at that moment Kailey walked up to them.

"You have this class Jenna?" She asked, rather unnecessarily. She'd been smiling until she noticed where Jenna was sitting. Her smile turned into a frown as she took in this small detail. Raising one eyebrow in distaste, Kailey spun on her heel and went to her seat at the front of the class.

"What's with her? And for that matter, what's with everyone else?" Jenna asked, realizing that everyone was still throwing glances at her.

"Oh, it's nothing." Lillith said. "It's just because of who you have to sit by."

"And who would that be?" Jenna asked. Lillith had been about to answer, but they were interrupted yet again. This time it was by Tyler.

"Hey Lillith, hey Jenna," He said as he took his seat next to Lillith. Both girls nodded in his direction, but before they could return to their conversation the teacher told everyone to get quiet and started talking about the objectives of the class. _Well, it looks like whoever I'm supposed to be sitting by isn't here today, _Jenna thought. Right at that moment, though, someone walked into the class.

"Ah, Taylor, I see you decided to make it to class today." The teacher said.

"Sorry Ms. Kennedy. I was running an errand for Ms. Brown." Taylor said. He turned to go to his seat, giving Jenna a clear view of him. When she saw his face, her heart seemed to stop. His features were perfectly smooth and angular, his skin a flawless and chalky pale. His black hair swung in front of his beautiful gold eyes, throwing shadows across them in a mysterious way. As he walked down the isle to go to his seat, he looked up and looked at her, stopping dead in his tracks when he did. He paused for only a moment before walking the rest of the way and sitting next to Jenna. His movements were slow, as if he was confused. Jenna, who had looked away when he looked at her, snuck a peak at him through her hair. His gaze was firmly fixed on the teacher. _So, this is who everyone was so worked up about,_ Jenna thought, looking away._ He must be one of the Cullens. According to Kailey, they were too beautiful for words, and boy does Taylor fit into that category. I don't think I would ever be able to find the right words to tell someone how beautiful he is. _Jenna was distracted from her thoughts when Ms. Kennedy gave them their first assignment. It was easy enough, seeing as they could sculpt anything they wanted. Jenna went and grabbed herself a hunk of clay, getting started immediately.

"So, _this_ is who everyone was worked up about?" Jenna whispered to Lillith as soon as Taylor got up to get his supplies.

"Yeah. He's one of the Cullens. Most people are afraid of the Cullens because they're so intimidating. That's why people were looking at you. Up until now, no one has ever sat by Taylor. Or any of the other Cullens for that matter." Lillith explained hurriedly in a hushed whisper.

"So why is Kailey acting so hostile toward me?" Jenna asked.

"Oh, she's convinced that if she can't get Taylor, then no one can. To be honest, she's rather full of herself. And since Taylor is the only single one of the Cullens, well..." Lillith trailed off as Taylor started walking back. Jenna turned back to her work as he sat down. A few minutes of tense silence followed before Taylor spoke.

"So, you're Jenna Nolan." He said. It was a statement,not a question. Forgetting who she was talking to, she threw her hands up in the air exasperatedly.

"What, was everyone expecting me?" She exclaimed, almost shouting. Taylor looked at her slowly, a half amused expression on his face.

"Well, it did cause a lot of gossip when that big house was built and then word got out that a famous writer was moving there and that she was rich. It was only a matter of time before everyone found out that this writer had a daughter, so of course everyone was expecting you." Taylor said. Jenna stared at him as he turned back to his work. Jenna frowned, mostly in anger at her mother, and resumed working on her project.

"So why did you move here, of all places?" Taylor asked as he expertly sculpted the clay beneath his hands. Jenna was surprised. This was the first time anymore had asked her that. So far, the question of the day had been how her day was going.

"Um, well, my mother decided that a change of scenery would be nice for both of us and she also thought this place would bring her the inspiration she needed for her writing." Jenna replied as she sculpted. So far it didn't look like much, but it was going to be a scene from one of her paintings. Before she'd moved, she had painted a picture of a girl bound by chains. Despite the imprisonment, though, there was still beauty in it so Jenna had titled it _Exquisite Chains_, as seemed fitting. Now she was trying to sculpt the figure. She got the figure of the girl shaped, and was now working on the detail.

"I don't see how anyone could get inspiration from a place like this." Taylor said. "So where did you move from?"

"Mackinac Island in Michigan originally. From there we moved to Mills, Wyoming. And then, once more, my mother uprooted us to move here." Jenna explained tersely.

"Mackinac Island... I used to live there." Taylor said, not taking his eyes off his work. Sneaking a peak at his sculpture, Jenna saw that it was going to be a rose or a flower of some sort. She turned back to her sculpture and began to work on the detail.

"Why did you move?" Jenna asked.

"Oh, there were some... complications. I had no choice but to move." Taylor said vaguely. It seemed to Jenna like he was trying to keep something from her. Oh well, it was his choice if he didn't want to talk about it. They passed the next thirty minutes in silence as they worked on their own projects. Taylor finished in the last twenty minutes of class and wrapped his sculpture in paper towls. When he sat back down he turned to Jenna.

"That's a nice sculpture." He said as he watched her work. She grew self conscious under his watchful gaze. By now I had finished the girl. Her face was a one of sad acceptance, yet there was a hint of a smile on her lips. Her long hair flowed around her gently, draping over one shoulder. One arm was was held above her head, the other one wrapped around her waist. She was wearing a sleeveless dress that flowed down to her feet and swept gracefully around her. Jenna was just now putting the finishing touches on the chains, which twined around her arms, draped loosely in large loops. The chains were connected to manacles on her wrists and were supposed to be connected to a wall, but she had made the sculpture so that the chains came together, wrapping around the girl's body.

"Thank you." She said as she finished the last link of the chain. The chain was the hardest, most time consuming part. "It's from one of my paintings."

"Those are very exquisite chains." Taylor commented. Jenna froze as she heard these words.

"What did you just say?" She asked quietly.

"I said that those are exquisite chains. You know, intricate, delicate, elaborate... Is something wrong?" He asked. Jenna seemed to come to her senses and resumed putting on the finishing touches of her sculpture.

"Oh, no, you just took me by surprise, that's all. See, the title of the painting that this came from is _Exquisite Chains_, so when you said that..." Jenna trailed off. After a brief pause, Taylor laughed softly.

"I understand. I suppose that would make me little uneasy. That was a strange coincidence, I'll admit." He paused and looked at the clock. "You might want to start cleaning up. It's almost time to go." Looking at the clock as well, Jenna saw that he was right and started cleaning her spot after putting her sculpture with the others. She finished right as the bell rang.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around." Taylor said as she gathered her things.

"Yeah, see you." Jenna replied vaguely. Her mind was in an entirely different place at the moment. She was so distracted that she was unaware that Lillith was following her.

"So what did you think of him?" Lillith asked when Jenna finally noticed her.

"Well, he seems nice enough." Jenna replied.

"Yeah, well for some reason everyone is afraid of the Cullens. Especially Emmet. You haven't seen him yet but when you do you'll understand what I mean." Lillith said.

"So you're not going to go all hostile on me like Kailey, are you?" Jenna asked.

"Oh, heavens no!" Lillith explained, toying idly with a stray strand of her shockingly red hair. "I'm not interested in any of them, and I'm already dating someone. Besides, all the Cullens, except Taylor, seem to be together."

"What?" Jenna asked confused.

"Oh, they aren't actual siblings. Well, some of them are related to each other." Lillith started. Seeing Jenna's ever increasing confusion, she laughed. "Perhaps I should explain better. There's Rosalie and Jasper Hale, then there's Alice and Eward Cullen. Emmet, Bella, and Taylor aren't related at all and they're all adopted. From what I understand, Emmet and Rosalie are together, Alice and Jasper are together, and Edward and Bella are together."

"Wow, that's confusing but I think I get it." Jenna said. Lillith laughed.

"I'm glad you caught on that fast. Someone had to explain it to me three times before I caught on. Well, I'll see you in gym!" Lillith called as Jenna turned to go into her history classroom. She shook her head. Lillith was quiet, but once she got talking she was a nice person. Jenna had a feeling she and Lillith would become friends pretty fast. Without paying attention she sat down in an empty seat. Only after a moment did she realize who she was sitting by three of the Cullens. They were all looking at her strangely, but their looks weren't hostile.

"Hi there." One of the girls said. Jenna wondered which one of the Cullens she was. She had dark brown hair that hung down in her face. "My name's Bella and this is Edward and Alice." She said. Jenna looked at the other two. Edward had tousled bronze hair and smooth, angular features. Alice, on the other hand, had black hair that was cropped short and spiked up in every direction. Her features were more petite and she looked a lot more breakable.

"Hey, I'm Jenna." Jenna said a little timidly. They looked kind enough, she supposed, but there was that ever present curiosity in their expressions. Only this time seemed different somehow, as if the curiosity was because of something else.

"Have you been having trouble with the students?" Edward asked, as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Yeah, they all act like... I don't know, but they give me funny looks and all that other good stuff. I blame my mother." Jenna said with a grimace.

"Why would you blame her?" Alice asked. Jenna met her intense gaze and found herself unable to look away. Alice's eyes were black.

"She was the one who wanted to flaunt her money. If she wouldn't have decided to do that, I would be able to fit in a little better." Jenna said. At that moment the bell rang so they couldn't continue their conversation.

At the end of class, Jenna gathered her books before anyone could say something to her, and left the room quickly. She had to stop outside the classroom to pull up her hood for protection from the rain, but after that she headed swiftly for the gym. Jenna was excited. The day was almost done, and gym was an easy class that she would have no trouble with. What's more, Lillith was in the same gym class as she was, so gym wouldn't be so boring. Jenna was actually smiling as she walked. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad here after all, as long as there were some decent people she could become friends with.

"Somebody looks happy." The beautiful voice came from behind her. Jenna spun around in surprise to find Taylor standing a foot behind her. She backed up a step as she tried to calm herself.

"You scared the crap out of me!" She said, half in anger half in amusement.

"I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget how quietly I'm capable of moving." Taylor said. He sounded genuinely sorry. "So why the sudden change in mood?" He asked, keeping pace with Jenna easily.

"Oh, no reason in particular. I just came to a simple conclusion, that's all. I've also had a little bit of a change of heart." Jenna explained vaguely. Her vagueness seemed to work because Taylor seemed thoroughly confused. Jenna just laughed. "See you tomorrow!" She called as she ran off toward the gym, leaving Taylor standing there. Before she turned to go into the gym, she thought she saw him smile. Shrugging her shoulders, she went into the girls locker room to change.

An hour later, Jenna exited the gym feeling rather proud of herself. Today during gym they'd started with volleyball and she was able to show off her athletic abilities. It wasn't long before everyone had come to the conclusion that Jenna would be a good person to have on a team. Feeling very out of character, compared to her normal self anyways, Jenna made her way to her car only to find it surrounded by a gaggle of boys. _Oh great,_ she thought in annoyance. With a sigh of exasperation, she made her way over to the crowd.

"Excuse me, that's my car that you're blocking." Jenna said loudly. Everyone around the car grew silent and turned to see who was speaking. When they saw her they all backed away hurriedly. Smiling at their hasty reaction, Jenna walked past them and slid into her car. After tossing her stuff in the back seat, she turned to start the car when she saw a paper lying in the front passenger seat. Curiously, she picked up the paper, which was thick and heavy in her hand compared to most paper, and flipped it over. It was a drawn picture of her, bound by chains. In the picture she was dressed in a tank top and a pair of jeans, but Jenna could tell what the picture was supposed to be a variation of her sculpture. That gave away who it was from, as did the words written across the bottom.

_She may be bound by such exquisite chains, but still she detests this cold imprisonment; Only with a little help will her soul be free to find contentment._ It was a short little poem, but beautiful all the same. It was amazing how much a person could gather out of a small conversation, for these words rang truer than she was sure was intended. Of course, she was beginning to think that Taylor wasn't quite like other people.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yay! I'm so glad people are reading, and I encourage those who do read to tell other twilight fans about my story. I also encourage those who read to review . Even if it's to tell me that I'm doing good and to keep up the good work (or to tell me that I suck and to stop writing). (sighs) But that's okay, as long as you keep reading! Btw, sorry it's been a while since I've updated. Been busy busy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Twilight characters(If I did I would be rich). I will only take credit for my characters Taylor and Jenna (and of course all the little fill ins for the original characters that are no longer around. Perhaps you'll be able to see the connection that is forming between old and new).**

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**Chapter Two: By the Sea**

The first week continued in much the same way. After a while, people stopped giving Jenna weird looks, and for the most part she was being accepted. She and Lillith became friends quite quickly, although Kailey tried to change that. Kailey was still acting rather hostile towards Jenna. There were times when Kailey would be friendly to Jenna, but if Taylor or any of the Cullens were mentioned, all friendliness would vanish. As for Taylor, he expressed a mild curiosity toward Jenna. This curiosity became apparent when they talked during class. In fact, even Edward, Bella, and Alice expressed a curiosity toward her. Theirs, though, was a different sort of curiosity. It was one that Jenna wasn't quite able to figure out yet. Over all, however, Jenna's outlook on living in Forks had taken a drastic turn after the first few weeks. The only down side was the rain. So, the one weekend when it was actually nice and rain free outside, Jenna, Lillith, and a few others decided to take a trip down to the beach. It was only natural that the Friday before, Jenna was more excited than she'd been in a while.

"I can't wait until tomorrow!" She said enthusiastically to Lillith as they walked to ceramics class together. Lillith nodded vigorously, her deep blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

"It's going to be so fun." Lillith agreed. "Oh, you don't mind if Kailey comes along, do you? She found out that a group of us were taking a trip to the beach and said that she wanted to go. She didn't really ask, so we can't turn her down, but if you want I'm sure we can find a way to keep her away."

"Oh, don't bother. _I_ don't have a problem with _her_. She's the one with the problem, so if she wants to come she can." Jenna answered honestly. They entered the class room and took their seats.

"Okay, that's cool. Is there anyone you were wanting to invite that isn't going already?" Lillith asked. Her tone was innocent enough, but Jenna was sure of what she meant. _Man, she's good_, Jenna thought.

"Ummm, actually there was." Jenna admitted hesitantly. "I'm just not sure how to ask him. And then there's Kailey..." She trailed off, pondering the problems that had just presented themselves in her mind. Lillith smiled understandingly.

"It's okay. I'm sure you'll find a way to ask him, and Kailey can just get over herself." She said. Jenna nodded, but she was still uncertain. Unfortunately for her, Taylor walked in at that moment and took his seat. _Dang it, don't I get a minute to prepare?_ Jenna asked herself furiously. It didn't seem like she would, for at that moment Taylor turned to face her.

"Hello, Jenna." He said politely in a soft voice that sent chills down her spine. "How has your day been so far?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Things are finally going better. And how has your day been?" Jenna returned the question.

"Rather slow, if I do say so myself. So what are your plans for the weekend. I hear that the rain is finally going to let up, and that there's even going to be some sunshine tomorrow." He said with a faint smile.

"Well, some of us are planning to go to the beach tomorrow. If you don't have any plans, you're welcome to join us." Jenna offered, surprised that she'd actually gotten the words out. Taylor sat there in thought for a moment.

"I'll have to see if my family already has plans before I can give you an answer." He said after a minute. Jenna nodded her understanding and wrote down her phone number on a slip of paper.

"Give me a call some time today to let me know, 'kay?" She said. Taylor nodded, turning to the front of the class right as the teacher walked in. Today they were going to start a new project. At the end of class, they would be getting their sculptures from the first day back. They'd painted the sculptures shortly after finishing them, but they hadn't been fired until earlier this week. Only now were they finished. As everyone got up to go get supplies, Lillith pulled Jenna aside.

"So what did he say?" She asked quietly.

"He said that he would have to find out his family's plans before he gave me an answer. He's going to call me later to let me know." Jenna explained quickly.

"Oooo, you gave him your number." Lillith said teasingly, nudging Jenna gently in the side. Unable to help herself, Jenna burst out laughing, causing a few of the students to look at her. Tyler and Kailey were amongst those who looked.

"You know it's not like that." Jenna said in a hushed tone, still laughing.

"I know. I can still tease though." Lillith said with a devious smile. Together they went and got a hunk of clay from Ms. Kennedy and went back to their seats. Taylor was already sitting at his seat, working on the pinch pot that was their current project. Even though he had probably only started working on it a few minutes ago, Jenna could already see what it was supposed to be.

"You sure do work fast." Jenna said sitting down. She started working on her pinch pot.

"I usually spend my time working on sculptures." Taylor replied vaguely. He never once took his eyes off his work. "I mean, think about it. How long does it usually take you to finish a painting?" He asked. After a moment, Jenna understood what he was getting at.

"About a half hour to an hour once I get started, but only if I have no interruptions." Jenna answered.

"So, see? The longer you have been doing something, the faster you are able to do it with minimal mistakes." Taylor said. After that, little was said as they worked in a comfortable silence. Occasionally, Taylor would take a break from his work to reach over and help Jenna get something right. When his hand brushed hers gently, Jenna could feel her breath catch and her heart flutter in response. A couple times, Jenna looked up to see Kailey throwing dirty looks in her direction, but she disregarded them. She was enjoying herself too much to really care what Kailey would think. As soon as she got used to his touch, Jenna found that the feel of Taylor's cold hands relaxed her. Beneath his long slender hands, the clay took on a flawless shape, and between the two of them, they'd even managed to make a little cat to perch on the edge of the pot.

"There," Taylor said softly as they finished attaching the cat to the pot. "It's all finished now." His own pot, which he had finished earlier, had a swan perching on the edge of it. The swan was so realistic that, even unpainted, it seemed to have a life of its own. Jenna could almost see the bird moving, even though it was completely still.

"Thank you for helping me." She said, tearing her eyes away from the swan. She picked up her pot with gentle hands and wrapped it up.

"No problem." Taylor said. "As long as you don't mind, I'm always willing to help." He wrapped his up as well before taking both of their pots to the shelf where they would stay until they were painted.

"You and Taylor were getting really close." Lillith said with a small smile. Jenna blushed, briefly.

"I told you, it's not like that." Jenna retorted, even though she knew now that it was a lie. Lillith's smile only grew bigger at these words.

"I can tell that it's more than what you're saying for at least one of you." Lillith said quietly. "People tell me how Sam and I act around each other all the time, and I can see now what they were talking about." She teased. Sam was Lillith's boyfriend. Jenna could easily say that he was one of the sweetest, most polite guys she'd ever met and she could see why Lillith chose to date him. Not to mention, he certainly had charm. His dark brown hair and forest green eyes helped a lot with that, especially since he wore his hair long. Sam would be accompanying them to the beach, so Jenna would have the chance to get to know him better. "You know, I think that you might actually have a chance with Taylor after all." Lillith said softly, so as not to be overheard.

"We'll see about that." Jenna said as she walked off and headed to her sixth hour class.

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When the bell rang at the end of gym, Jenna was more than happy to leave. Gym had been intense and she was tired as hell. She would enjoy no more than to go home and relax, her mother permitting. For the past few days, Gabriella's editor and agent had been visiting to discuss the book Gabriella was writing, so Jenna had to help play host. After school she would have enough time to do her homework, then it was off serving food and drinks while Gabriella talked business. Maybe she would be able to get out of it today... Jenna sighed tiredly. It was probably useless to try. Trying her best not to yawn, Jenna fished her keys out of her pocket and opened her car door. She threw her stuff in the back and slid into the driver's seat. It took her a moment to realize that there was something sitting in the passenger's seat. Jenna lifted the neatly wrapped package and slid the paper tied to it from beneath the ribbon holding the package closed. Unfolding it slowly, Jenna began to read the elegant script filling the thick paper.

_From childhood's hour I have not been as others were, I have not seen as other saw, I could not bring my passions from a common spring. From the same source I have not taken my sorrow, I could not awaken my heart to joy at the same tone, And all I loved I loved alone. Then in my childhood in the dawn of a most stormy life was drawn from every depth of good and ill, The mystery which binds me still, From the torrent or the fountain, From the red cliff of the mountain, From the sun that 'round me rolled in its autumn tint of gold, From the lightning in the sky as it passed me flying by, From the thunder and the storm and the cloud that took the form (when the rest of heaven was blue) of a demon in my view._

Jenna recognized the poem from the many times she'd read it before, but she could not figure out why Taylor had written it. Turning her attention to the package, she carefully untied the ribbon and slid the tissue paper off of what it was hiding. As the paper fell away, Jenna inhaled sharply. It was the rose that Taylor had made on the first day. Painted, it looked so real with the petals of its full bloom curling gently at the edges. It was so perfectly formed that Jenna was worried that she would break it somehow. That's why she wrapped it back up, being careful of the long stem, and set it in the passenger seat in such a way that it would not slide around. The entire way home, she drove extra carefully taking twice as long as she normally would have. As she pulled into the driveway and put the car in park, her mother came running out of the house.

"You look like you're in a rush." Jenna said, grabbing her school things before carefully lifting the rose out of the passenger seat.

"I am." Gabriella said. "Daniel called to tel me that he would be early." Daniel was the editor.

"About that," Jenna began. Gabriella looked at her with suspicion. "I wouldn't mind helping you get everything ready, but do you think I could take a break from playing hostess? I'm really tired today and I want to get my homework done tonight. Not to mention, I'm expecting a call."

"A call? From who?" Gabriella asked, her mood lightening. Jenna sighed. Her mother could be so nosy sometimes.

"A friend from school, mom. It's about the plans for tomorrow." Jenna said as they walked up the steps to the wrap around porch. "So do you think I could take a break today?"

"Well, I guess. As long as you help me get things ready. If you're not going to be there to do refills, we need to be sure that there's enough to last." Gabriella said leading the way into the house. Jenna managed to escape up to her room before having to go help her mother. She put all of her stuff on the bed except for the rose, which she unwrapped. Now that she was home, she could examine it more. The glossy paint was so even that not even one thin spot could be found, and it was such a deep red. The long stem was painted a deep green and even had little thorns placed in various spots. In all, it was a very beautiful work of art. Jenna was amazed that anyone could bear to part with such a lovely thing. Realizing that she needed to go help her mother, Jenna placed the rose on top of the poem on her desk. Taking one last look at it, Jenna turned and went downstairs to help Gabriella.

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Later that night...

Jenna had just finished her homework. Closing her book with an air of relief, Jenna leaned back against the pillows on the bed and just relaxed for a while. She was looking forward to a nice, candle-lit bubble bath. With a sigh, she pushed herself up and began to put her books away. As she got up to put her bag on the floor, the unfinished painting in the corner caught her eye. It was a painting she'd started a while back, but she was unable to finish it so it sat on the easel covered with a sheet to prevent it from getting ruined. It was tempting to lift the sheet to look at her work so far, but she'd promised herself that she wouldn't look at the painting until she was ready to work on it again. And she wasn't ready to work on it yet. Maybe soon... Jenna was walking to her bathroom to get her bath ready when the phone rang. Jenna rushed to pick it up and managed to get to it before her mother picked up the extension downstairs. Gabriella was probably still occupied with her meeting.

"Hello?" Jenna asked as soon as she got the phone to her ear.

"Hey," Came the soft reply from the other end of the line.

"Taylor," Jenna said just as softly. She'd almost said it in relief. For the better part of the afternoon Jenna had worried that he was not going to call. He had no reason to, anyway. "So do you think you'll be able to make it tomorrow?" She asked hesitantly.

"Unfortunately I don't think I'll make it back in time. My family is going hiking tomorrow and it's kind of a family tradition to go together." Taylor explained. "If I make it back at a decent time, I could stop by your house if that's okay with you." He suggested. For a moment, Jenna couldn't breathe. When she caught her breath she answered faintly.

"That would be wonderful." She said. "Just give me a call before you get here, that way I can give you directions."

"I don't need directions." Taylor said with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"And why would that be?" Jenna asked.

"Are you kidding? Who wouldn't know where your house is? It's probably the biggest house in Forks, other than my own. The only differences are that your house isn't hidden in the woods and everyone got to see your house being built." Taylor replied with a small laugh.

"Oh, I see." Jenna said. "Well, be sure to call anyway, so that I at least know when you'll be here."

"No problem." Taylor said. "Well, it was a pleasure talking to you but I must go now. I guess I might see you tomorrow then."

"Okay," Jenna said quietly. "Bye."

She hung up the phone slowly, still trying to see how it was possible that Taylor would be coming to her house tomorrow. She was also trying to understand why he would want to. He couldn't possibly be interested in dating her. He was... amazing. There was no other word to describe him. Except maybe unbelievably beautiful and undeniably angelic. And Jenna... she saw herself as far from beautiful. There just wasn't anything unique about her. She was... normal. Maybe not ugly, but there were far more beautiful girls out there. Shaking her head, Jenna went and got her bubble bath ready. The bathroom was amazingly beautiful and had actual granite floors. The bath tub, which was exceptionally large, was granite too. At least the outside of it was, but Jenna wasn't an expert at things like this. All she knew was that she loved her bathroom and it looked amazing by candle light. The glossy black granite reflected the soft glow of the candles like a mirror. As Jenna slid into the warm bath water, she saw that Gabriella had added some things to her bathroom since they'd moved in. There was now a thick ivory area rug that was amazingly soft and pots of different types of ivy hanging from the ceiling above the sink and above the tub. With a tired sigh, Jenna slid into the warm bubble bath that was waiting for her and relaxed. It was nice to be able to not worry for a while. She would put off worrying until tomorrow.

After her bath, Jenna decided that she should get some sleep, but when she actually tried she found that she wasn't quite tired enough. It was only natural that her thoughts strayed to tomorrow. _Maybe I should just call and tell him not to come,_ she thought as she realized how much trouble that could be with her mother. It wasn't that her mother would get mad at her for inviting someone over without asking. It was that her mother would make a big deal out of Jenna inviting a _boy _over. And her mother wasn't one to keep her thoughts to herself. Maybe Jenna would get lucky and Gabriella would be busy with her book. Jenna almost had to laugh at that thought. She never had any luck with those sorts of things. After about twenty minutes of laying there, she pushed herself up and reached for the bedside table. Opening the drawer, she pulled out a bottle of sleeping pills. Her mother had gotten them for her a few years back when she'd suffered from sleep problems, but she had rarely ever used them. Now she only used them when absolutely necessary. She went to the bathroom and got a glass of water before going back to bed and taking the pills. Even so, it was still a while before she finally fell asleep.

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The next day dawned bright and sunny. After rushing to get ready due to the fact that she woke up late Jenna sat down and ate a hasty breakfast. A few minutes later she was pulling out of the driveway in her mother's car. The group of people who were going were meeting at the grocery store were already there by the time she got there, and by the looks of things, they were almost ready to go. Jenna climbed out of her car, leaving it running, and stood there as she looked for Lillith. It was Lillith who found her first.

"Hey, Jenna! I'm glad you could make it." She said as she walked over. "Tyler's been looking for you. He wanted to know if you would ride with him."

"As if," Jenna answered. "I was actually going to take my own car. You're welcome to come with me if you want." She offered.

"I wish I could, but I've already been coned into riding with Tyler. If I tell him no now, he'll get upset and as annoying as he is, he's a great friend and I would hate to lose a friend like him. Besides, Sam is riding with Tyler as well." Lillith explained.

"Ok, that's fine. I guess we're leaving now?" Jenna asked.

"It looks like it. See you there!" Lillith replied as she walked away. Jenna climbed back into her car and waited for the others. Then they were off to the beach. Jenna was amazed by its beauty when she saw it. For a minute she just stood there and looked at the scene before her, but soon enough she was called off to the group. Someone had brought music and a portable radio, so as they sat there and talked they listened to music. At noon, Lillith broke out the food. As sandwiches were being passed around, a strange dark skinned boy walked up to her. He looked to be about her age.

"Hey there," He said. "You don't look familiar. Have you been here before?" He asked.

"No, this is my first time. I just moved here this year." Jenna answered.

"Oh, well in that case, I'm Will." He said holding out his hand. "A lot of the kids from town come here often. Sometimes I come here to socialize with them, like today, and this time there was someone new. So, are you the writer's daughter?" He asked. Jenna scowled.

"I am, but I would prefer not to be known as 'the writer's daughter.' Call me Jenna." She said. Will smiled.

"Okay. So are you enjoying it here in he quiet town of forks?" Nick asked with a dramatic sweep of his arms. Jenna had to laugh at that. She could tell that this kid was a clown.

"It's pretty nice. The rain is a little depressing at times, but the people here are friendly." _With one exception,_ Jenna thought with a look in Kailey's direction. Kailey was being friendly enough right now, but that could change in a heartbeat. Will seemed to know where Kailey was looking.

"Yeah, she's never been particularly nice. Let me guess, you and Taylor are friends, aren't you?" He asked. Jenna nodded. "And he is taking more interest in you than he is in her?" Again Jenna nodded. "Kailey gets like that every time it looks like Taylor is getting close to another girl. If I were you, I would ignore it. Maybe it'll pass with time."

"So you know the Cullens?" Jenna asked.

"Oh yeah, they're nice people. They don't really come to the reservation often, but when they do they've always been really nice." Will said. "And I'm guessing you know them too?"

"Only a few. I haven't had a chance to meet all of them, but maybe some day I will get to. So you live on the reservation?" Jenna questioned. Will nodded. "That's cool. Do you go to town much?"

"As often as I can. I just got my license, so I go up there as much as possible to see some of my friends." He broke off at the sound of thunder. I looked up and saw that the sunny day hadn't lasted. The kids who were sitting around enjoying themselves grumbled about the approaching storm. Lillith and Sam walked over to where Jenna was sitting.

"Oh, hi Will." Lilith said as she approached. Then turning to Jenna she said, "We're getting ready to leave. It's going to rain."

"Okay. I think I might hang around here for a while. I don't have anything to do at home." Jenna said.

"What about the rain?" Sam asked.

"What's a little rain going to do?" Jenna asked. She got up and turned to Will. "I really ought to leave, though. It was nice talking to you."

"Nice talking to you, too." Will said before heading off.

"I guess I won't hang around." Jenna said to Lillith and Sam. They nodded and walked off to go pile into the different vehicles. _So much for a beah trip,_Jenna thought. She watched as everyone drove off and, instead of going home like she said she would, she walked up to the water's edge. The waves lapped at the rocks of the shore as the oppressive storm clouds pressed in closer. Thunder rumbled ominously above, but Jenna had no desire to leave. The turbulence of the sea was captivating. She sighed and sat on the rocks just as rain started to fall. She pushed her wavy black hair out of her face. She knew that the longer she sat there, the wetter she would get, but she couldn't bring herself to move.

"Well, what do we have here?" She heard a voice say. It was an unfamiliar voice, but it was so beautiful. It almost reminded her of Taylor's voice with its musical tones and velvety smoothness. She looked around and saw someone walking towards her. A teenage boy... or maybe a young adult? It was hard to tell. He had the same chalky pale complexion as Taylor, too, but his eyes were black and his hair was a sort of golden red. There was more gold in his hair, though. It brushed his cheeks lightly as he walked, making his eyes more vivid. Jenna shivered as she met his eyes. She'd never seen anyone with black eyes before. Except for Alice, that is. But she seemed a lot nicer than him. Jenna, wary of this tall, handsome stranger, didn't answer. He seemed to radiate danger, but Jenna _still_ couldn't find it in her to move.

"What, cat got your tongue?" He asked mockingly. Jenna gave him a look that usually scared most people off, but didn't seem to be having any effect on her. She stood up and backed away slowly, moving closer to her car. She still didn't speak.

"Are you not going to let me hear your voice, my beautiful angel?" He asked. Jenna cocked her head to one side at this. What in the world was this guy doing? In her confusion, she stopped momentarily and somehow he managed to move much closer to her in that time. He circled her once before coming to a standstill in front of her. He lifted a lock of her now dripping wet hair.

"Such silky black hair," He said. "And you smell so good in the rain." He added. He tipped her head to the side. Jenna wanted to resist him, but she couldn't. Why? He brushed her hair away from her neck. "So good," he whispered before pressing his lips against her neck. His cool touch left her breathless. She closed her eyes and sighed softly, all thoughts of danger and resisting gone from her mind. _What's wrong with me?_ She asked herself in a brief moment of clarity. She pushed at the grip he had on her, but he was too strong. She'd been about to fight back more when a sudden voice made her stop. _This_ one she recognized. It was Taylor.

"Jenna?" He said questioningly. She blinked once or twice before realizing that she was standing alone. Jenna looked around her and saw that the man had disappeared. "Jenna, are you okay?" Taylor asked as he walked over to her. Had she been hallucinating?

"Did you see... was there someone here?" She asked.

"No," Taylor said slowly. "Why are you standing here in the rain? You are positively soaked." He commented, putting his arm around her shoulders. She wondered briefly what he'd seen in her face to react so. "Come on, let's get you home." He said.

"Didn't you drive here?" Jenna asked.

"No, my family dropped me off. We were getting ready to start our hike, but it started raining, so I had them drop me off. I thought that I could catch the party, but it looks like the rain beat me here." He explained.

"Oh," Jenna said. They climbed into her car and she drove off towards home, glad that Taylor was here. She couldn't seem to fight off the chill that was creeping over her from her encounter with that stranger.

**So, how'd ya like it? Again, sorry I haven't updated in a while. I made this chapter a little longer to make up for it. (if anyone cares, that is). Sorry if it got a little rambly up there. Anyways, hope ya'll liked it! I'll try to update again as soon as possible. And plz, review! I'm going for at least three reviews before I continue, so those who are reading, I ask that you review. Thankyou!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I still didn't get the _three_reviews that I asked for, but I couldn't wait to post this chapter. I will apologize in advanced for any stray I's or me's. I am writing a story of my own and it's in first person. I am beginning to realize that it is hard to transition from one to the other. I hope you like the chapter anyways! And please, _please_ review. **

**disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Twilight characters (If I did I would be rich). I will only take credit for my characters Taylor and Jenna (and of course all the little fill ins for the original characters that are no longer around. Perhaps you'll be able to see the connection that is forming between old and new).**

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****Chapter Three: Choosing Water Over Wine**

_Can anything get any more amazing than this?_ Jenna asked herself. Here she was, sitting in _her_ room, fully awake. Across from her, on _her_ bed, was the most amazing, positively drop dead gorgeous, guy she'd ever met. Taylor had taken her home, or rather she had taken him home, from the beach. For the past two hours they'd been sitting here talking. _But something about him is different,_ she thought as she looked into his gold eyes. He wasn't what he seemed. There was something more, although how there could be anything more to someone so complete, Jenna would never know. She had found out as they talked that he could do _everything_. He could play just about any instrument you could think of, he was an amazing artist (he'd drawn a portrait of her in under thirty minutes, and the resemblance was more than shocking), he could sing, he could dance, he was an absolute genius, _and_ he was one of the most good looking students at school. He could also do about a gazillion other things. He was nothing short of amazing, but the more they talked, the guiltier he looked. Jenna tried to place what could be making him feel guilty of all things, but she was unable. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Taylor," Jenna said. He looked up at her, meeting her eyes, and the guilt in his eyes slammed into her. "Is something wrong?" She asked. Surely a friend could ask that, right? She sure hoped so. Taylor shifted around a bit before answering.

"Jenna, you're a really nice girl," He started. _Oh no, here it comes. He's going to try to discourage me early. He noticed my behavior towards him and he doesn't feel the same way. I knew he was too perfect for me... I knew it was too good to last._

"Taylor, you don't have to say it. I already know." Jenna said. Taylor's expression became shocked.

"How did you find out?" He asked with a confused frown.

"Well, it was kind of obvious." Jenna said.

"But I haven't told anyone!" He said. "And my brothers and sisters haven't told anyone. So how could you possibly know?" He asked. Maybe that's what their curious looks were for.

"Listen, if you were just going to tell me in the end, why did you even come here? You didn't need to tell me in person." Jenna told him, getting angry. She was starting to realize that he'd led her on all this time.

"I wasn't planning on telling you, but I feel too guilty keeping such a big secret from someone so nice." Taylor said, sounding angry himself.

"You were going to keep this from me?"Jenna all but shouted. "Why would you even think of doing something like that?"

"Well, it wouldn't be pleasant if the whole school found out." He said sarcastically, as if it should have been painfully obvious.

"Found out what? That you were too perfect for someone so horribly plain? Or that you just can't seem to find that 'perfect girl'?" Jenna said, feeling the tears in her eyes as they threatened to spill over. This seemed to shut Taylor up. When he finally spoke, it was in a soft, slightly surprised voice.

"I think we're talking about different things, because I have no idea what you meant." He said. I looked at him, feeling confused. "What were you talking about?" He asked.

"The fact that you are uber amazing while I am so utterly insignificant and plain in comparison and because of this, you were trying to discourage me before I got too attatched..." I trailed off, aware that I was rambling. He glanced at me, and odd look in his eyes.

"You are not insignificant and plain. You are one of the most amazing people I have ever met." He said.

"How odd, that's what I thought about you." Jenna muttered under her breath, too quiet for him to have heard. "If you weren't talking about _that_ then what were you talking about?" I asked.

"I want to tell you, but I don't know how you are going to react. I just feel bad about not telling you because you are nice and honest, so any dishonest on my part makes me feel like a bad person." Taylor said. "But it's not my secret to tell. Well, not _only _my secret."

"You can trust me." Jenna told him. Taylor sighed.

"I believe you, but I have to go get some advice first. Too much balances on this secret." He said. "So I guess that means I need to leave. Can I come back tomorrow?" He asked. Jenna nodded. They both stood at the same time and laughed about it.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." Jenna said. He stepped closer and looked her in the eye for a moment before nodding and walking away. She would have offered to walk him to the front door, but the way he moved, the way he looked at her, and his deadly good looks all left her standing breathless. Jenna was missing him already and couldn't wait for tomorrow.

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That night, Jenna had trouble getting to sleep, but she finally managed it. Even though she hadn't gotten much sleep, she was up bright an early. For a while, she just sat there remembering the dream she had. The dream had been so shockingly detailed that it gave her the chills. In it, she had been standing on the beach. Will was standing on one side of her, holding one hand, and Taylor had been standing on the other side of her, holding her other hand. What startled her the most was the shocking difference between the temperature of their hands. Taylor's was ice cold and Will's felt like it was on fire. But there they stood, looking out to sea, waiting. Halfway through the dream, a black shadow seemed to leap out of the water at her, but it was as if it had hit an invisible barrier. When it backed away, it took the shape of a man before materializing into the man from the beach the other day. He growled in frustration and the sound made Jenna recoil. It was all she could do to not run, but she felt oddly safe. On one side she had ice, and on the other side she had fire, both of them bent on protecting her. In unison, Taylor and Will told him to go away and that he could not have her. The way they phrased it in the dream, though, sounded a lot neater. She couldn't remember their exact wording, however. Jenna shivered as she recalled the icy perfection of the man from the beach. With a sigh, she stored the dream away for later examination and got out of bed to get her shower over with. Thirty minutes later, she was fully dressed and showered, feeling more anxious than she had the other night when she'd found out that Taylor was going to come here. She wondered when he was going to get here today. It was a Sunday, so she didn't know if he had anything else planned for today. So she resolved herself to sit and wait for him to either show up, or just call. it was around mid-day when she got a call. It was only Taylor calling to let her know that he would be over at three.

So that was it. He would be over at three to explain what he was talking about the other day. _Great, _Jenna thought as she stared out the window at the torrents of rain coming down. _Things seem to be getting out of hand here._ She had eaten lunch, cleaned the house, and done everything she could think of and she still hadn't managed to waste enough time. Just now it was only two in the afternoon. It was while she was trying to think of what to do that her mother came storming into the house looking _pissed_.

"What's wrong, mom?" Jenna asked.

"The publishing company won't publish my book." She said angrily. "They told me that they expected better of me and that the book didn't quite measure up to the previous one. As if! It was way better, even my editor said so!" She let out a frustrated cry and fell onto the couch. Jenna sighed and shook her head. Sometimes her mother could be so over-dramatic. Jenna hurried to the kitchen and made her mother a hot cup of tea. When she came back, her mother was still ranting, calling the people at the publishing company every bad name she could think of.

"Mom, I think that's enough. You've probably cursed them enough to last a while." Jenna said.

"Easy for you to say, it wasn't _your_ book being denied." Gabriella muttered. Jenna handed her the tea. "Jenna, would you be a dear and go get a bubble bath ready for me?" She asked. Jenna hurried to comply. Anything to get away from her mother's ranting... Jenna made sure to use her mom's favorite bubble bath. She also set out some candles and lit them while the tub was filling. When she was done she told her mother that it was ready.

"Thanks, honey." She said with a grateful smile. She pulled off her expensive stilettos and shrugged out of her jacket before shuffling off to her bathroom. Jenna sank onto the couch, already feeling the stress of the day. It was right around this time that there was a knock at the door.

_Now who could that be?_ Jenna asked herself. She pushed herself off the couch and leisurely made her way to the door. She figured that whoever it was could wait. She pulled the door open expecting it to be another one of the endless fans wanting a book signing (somehow, they still managed to find her mother, even in this small town) or some traveling sales person. So, naturally, she was shocked when she saw it was Taylor.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting to see you for another hour." Jenna said in surprise.

"Yeah, I was going to wait, but waiting was making me have second thoughts. I had to see you before I changed my mind." He said. There was a brief pause before Jenna came to her senses.

"Well, by all means do come in." She said. Taylor gratefully stepped past her, but he more nervous than a turkey on Thanksgiving day. Okay, maybe that was a cliched expression, but it was true enough. He couldn't stop pacing, even though Jenna was now standing there staring at him. After a few minutes, she couldn't stand it anymore.

"Taylor, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" Jenna asked, placing her hand on his arm to stop him from pacing. It worked, but he didn't answer her immediately. When he finally spoke, his voice was so quiet that Jenna had to strain to hear him.

"Tell me what kinds of things your mother writes about." He said.

"I don't think you want to know that." Jenna said with a grimace.

"Not in that way. What... how do I phrase this?" He asked himself. "Your mom writes fiction, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, and just about every kind of fiction, from science to fantasy." Jenna told him.

"So she writes about mythical creatures and monsters and all the old legends?" He asked. I nodded. "Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Have you ever wished that some of the things from her books were real?" Jenna thought about this for a moment. To be nice to her mother, she'd read the books her mother had written. To be honest, they were very well written and Jena did enjoy them, except for the fact that she wasn't a really big fan of romance novels. She would read the occasional romance novel, but she usually tended not to. Still, there was one story that her mother had written that Jenna had become obsessed with. It was by far her favorite and if there was any book she would want to be real it was that one.

"Yeah, there was. It was a story about vampires. I feel silly for admitting that, but if you read the book you would understand." Jenna told him. "But what does that have to do with what you wanted to tell me?" She asked. Taylor seemed to hesitate a little before his next words.

"Would you want to go for a walk with me?" He asked suddenly.

"Um, sure." Jenna replied, a little surprised. She grabbed her rain jacket off the coat rack by the door and slipped it on, drawing the hood. She led the way outside knowing that Taylor would follow. They walked for a while along the path that led through the woods. Jenna had made the path, so she knew where it went. It pretty much just went in a big circle through the woods and one of the meadows before winding its way back to the house. Taylor waited until they got to the meadow to stop her. She turned to face him, getting ready to demand that he tell her what he came here to tell her, but the look in his eyes stopped her. He wasn't quite meeting her gaze and the look in his eyes was hesitant... it was wary and concerned.

"Jenna, I am going to ask that you be as understanding and open minded as possible. I won't question you if you never want to speak to me again and I will completely understand if you run from me after this. But I consulted my family and they told me to do what I thought was right as long as I was sure." Taylor said. His words worried her, but Jenna was willing to do as he requested. She nodded for him to continue.

"What would you say if the things in that book were real?" He asked. It took me a moment to realize what he was really saying.

"You mean that vampires are real?" Jenna asked. She could hear the faint note of hysteria in her voice and she tried to control it, but it was hard. Jenna knew that what he was saying had to be true. Why else would he go to such extremes just to tell her something that might make here run from him? For half a second, Jenna thought that the reason he had brought her here was to kill her, but she refused to believe that he could do something like that.

"That is what I am saying, and I'm guessing that you have already guessed that I _am _one." He said the last bit bitterly. _Interesting, _Jenna thought. Although she trusted him, she was still cautious enough to back up a bit. Taylor made no move to stop her.

"You sound like you wish you weren't a vampire." Jenna said cautiously.

"You've got it." Taylor replied. "It's not like I asked for this anyways. It was an accident, never meant to happen."

Jenna was interested now. "What happened?" She asked.

"You know how I said I had to move because of complications?" Taylor asked. Jenna nodded to show that she remembered that conversation. "The complications were that I was attacked by a vampire. It actually started before that. See, I was orphaned a few years before. My parents were killed by vampires. I moved to Mackinac Island because, first off, that was where my aunt lived. She'd agreed to take me in. The second reason was because Mackinac Island was one of the safest places I could go out of the places I could choose from. My aunt wasn't the only one willing to take me in."

"So if that was a safe place, what happened?" Jenna asked.

"It was a mostly safe place." Taylor told Jenna. "But I had made a mistake. I knew that there were vampires there, but they mainly just passed on through, staying for maybe a day or two. I grew overconfident and thought myself safe from them, so I was out late one night with some friends. We were just messing around and we lost track of time. Before we knew it, it was well into the night. My aunt wouldn't care that I was out so late. She worked most of the time anyways. So I agreed to go to each of my friends' houses and take the blame to let them off the hook. Their parents all loved me and knew I was responsible, so they said it was alright just this once. But, to say the least, it was very late before I left the last boy's house and by now I was alone."

Jenna was completely captivated by his story so much that it took her by surprise when he broke off. "What happened next?" She asked in a whisper.

"It was a nice night," He continued in a quiet voice, "and I didn't feel like hurrying home, so I took my time. I didn't realize that I had become prey and that I was being followed. By the time I _did _realize what was going to happen, it was too late. I was attacked and I suppose I would have been killed if Carlisle hadn't come along and saved me."

"Wait just a minute," Jenna interrupted. "Are you talking about Carlisle Cullen?"

"Who else would I be talking about?" Taylor asked.

"So are you telling me that all of the Cullens are vampires?" She asked in disbelief. Taylor nodded and there was a moment of silence. Finally, Jenna said, "Okay, I just wanted to clear that up. Sorry for the interruption. You were saying?"

"Anyways," Taylor said with a calculating look at Jenna. "Carlisle came along before I was killed and he tried to save me. He managed to save me from death, but not from my fears. He did try, but it was too late. He couldn't suck all of the venom out and had no choice but to let it change me. He was kind enough to let me live with him and the rest of the Cullens. I quickly adapted to their way of life since I was so disgusted by the idea of feeding from humans."

"What do you mean?" Jenna asked.

"I am what you could consider a 'safe' vampire. I decided to choose water over wine." Taylor said.

"I still don't understand." Jenna stated.

"Carlisle found another way to live. We can survive off of animal blood. Of course, the lure of human blood is still there, but it isn't as strong as it would be to a normal vampire."

Later, s they walked back to her house hand in hand, Jenna couldn't stop herself from thinking. How could vampires be real? She had always wished that they were, but now that she knew the truth was it such a good thing? But, then again, if vampires weren't real, she probably would never have met Taylor. It couldn't be all that bad, could it?

* * *

**A/N: Again, sorry for any first person confusion. I want to remind you to review! I really need them. Oh, and thank you to those who do review. It is greatly appreciated.**


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